[Let's Play] Fighting Fantasy 35 - Daggers of Darkness!

[Darth Rabbitt]

Enter the tavern, and ask around for information if possible. We've missed 2 medallions already so we really don't want to miss any more.

[Queen of Swords]

Damn. We're really not doing so well here.

Go into the tavern.

[JourneymanN00b]

Ouch on the bad luck. I vote to enter the tavern.

[SGamerz]

You enter the Dead Man's Chest Tavern. It is full of old salts, Kazanids, seafaring Dwarfs, and Goblin deck-hands. You sit and rest (eat some Provisions if you have any left; otherwise your only option is to pay 1 gold for a meal. Add 4 points to your STAMINA). In a corner of the inn you see a group of sailors crowding round a one-eyed individual. They are playing Snakes' Eyes. Do you wish to gamble or do you just leave?

The wording here sounds like we have to use our own Provision if we have any left, which we do, but we are running low on that and have gold to spare, so I don't see why we can't choose to buy our meal here anyway.

No place to gossip for info, only to gamble. Please vote whether you wish to spend gold on the meal and whether you wish to stop for a gamble.

[Beroli]

Buy the meal, don't gamble, leave.

[Queen of Swords]

Half a vote to gamble, just because we need some idea where to go next and maybe gambling will allow us to speak to people and pick up a clue.

[Thaluikhain]

We've plenty of gold, and gambling might lead to a plot hook (or maybe a bar fight, whatever) so buy food and gamble.

[SGamerz]

Qulan spends 1 gold on his meal and restores 4 STAMINA (up to 15).

Snakes' Eyes is a dice game. You place a stake in gold coins on the table and make three attempts to throw a double. If you do throw a double, you get back double your original stake and that particular game ends. If you throw double-1 (snakes' eyes) you get back three times your stake. There is a maximum stake of 5 gold coins and you may play only three times. Play the game and make the appropriate adjustments on your Adventure Sheet.

You finish playing, gather up your winnings (if any) and then you notice a Goblin who is scrutinizing you carefully. Do you go outside through the front door or do you prefer to leave through a small back door?

The odds don't look good...

Vote on:

1) How much to bet?
2) How many times we play?
3) Which door do we leave by?

Adventure Sheet:
[spoiler]Name: Qulan Gal
SKILL 10/10
STAMINA 15/18
LUCK 10/11
Poison: 11/24
Equipment: Sword, Leather Armor, Potion of Fortune (+1 to Initial LUCK, restores LUCK to new Initial value), Flower, Treffilli (2 sprigs)
Provisions: 2
Gold: 15 (1 sewn into boot, lucky piece)
Abilities: Darkfight
Medallions:
Extra Lives unlocked: 2/4 remaining
No. of deaths/failures: 2
[/spoiler]

[Thaluikhain]

Ah, if it's just gambling, bet just 1 gp just once to be safe, and leave via the backdoor.

[Queen of Swords]

Agreed, 1 GP and leave out the back door.

[Darth Rabbitt]

Thirded.

[JourneymanN00b]

I vote to bet 1 Gold Piece, play only once, and leave through the back door.

[SGamerz]

Qulan bets 1 gold, rolls a 6 and a 4, and loses his stake. He then leaves via the back door.

You leave the Dead Man's Chest Tavern and walk straight into another Goblin who is leading two Orcs down the small back alleyway. He stops, points at you and screams in guttural Goblin style - and the Orcs leaps to attack you. Fight each Orc in turn.

First Orc SKILL 7 STAMINA 6
Second Orc SKILL 7 STAMINA 6

If you survive, you can see no trace of the Goblin. You leave the alleyway and round a corner into the main street. You feel a distinct throb from the poison in your blood (mark off 2 Poison units).

COMBAT LOG:
Orc#1 10, Qulan Gal 18. O1 is at 4.
O1 14, QG 17. O1 is at 2.
O1 9, QG 19. O1 is killed.
Orc#2 12, QG 17. O2 is at 4.
O2 16, QG 16. Tie.
O2 14, QG 20. O2 is at 2.
O2 15, QG 20. O2 is killed.

You stand in the road and watch a cart passing, pulled by four large horses. You know that you must make all speed upon your mission; the poison in your body will not let you dawdle. Do you choose to approach the cart-driver or would you rather head down to the harbour to seek other forms of transport?

What form of transport do we seek?

Adventure Sheet:
[spoiler]Name: Qulan Gal
SKILL 10/10
STAMINA 15/18
LUCK 10/11
Poison: 13/24
Equipment: Sword, Leather Armor, Potion of Fortune (+1 to Initial LUCK, restores LUCK to new Initial value), Flower, Treffilli (2 sprigs)
Provisions: 2
Gold: 14 (1 sewn into boot, lucky piece)
Abilities: Darkfight
Medallions:
Extra Lives unlocked: 2/4 remaining
No. of deaths/failures: 2
[/spoiler]

[Beroli]

Approach the cart-driver.

[JourneymanN00b]

Hang on, don't we get three rolls per attempt? Or am I misreading the text? I vote to approach the cart-driver.

[Darth Rabbitt]

Yeah, the book says "three attempts to throw a double per game."

Anyhow, approach the driver.

[Queen of Swords]

Sure, let's try the driver.

[SGamerz]

Oops, yes, my mistake, we can roll 3 times. I got that mixed up with the maximum 3 games limit.

2nd roll = 1 & 5.
3rd roll = 3 &1.

We still lose the stake.

Qulan approaches the cart:

The driver is an old man, but he looks very strong. He carries a fine blade close to hand, and he looks as if he know how to use it. When you ask him for a ride, at first he is silent; he looks you up and down and then agrees to take you for the price of your company. He warns that you will be crossing wild bandit lands - and you may even meet some Kalamites; however, he does not explain what these creatures are. When the cart passes through one of the town gates, you are stopped by a one-legged hurdy-gurdy man who also asks for a ride. The driver, Drukkah, looks steadfastly at the beggar and shakes his head. "Don't like the look or the smell of that one - he's no more a hurdy-gurdy man than I'm the Vizier of Kazan."

Drukkah must be the author in disguise. You can tell from the way he randomly name-drops an unknown creature but doesn't bother to explain what it really is. :/

The cart creaks along the Drukka, the driver, doesn't ask you any questions. The trail is long and he explains that he is heading for a large trading post in central Kazan. In the long hours he tells you tales of when Segrek was strong and the badlands were well policed. At one point he stops the cart, stands up and, head cocked to one side, looks around the reedy landscape. You follow his example and draw your sword in readiness. Suddenly, two Grypvultures come skimming across the reeds and attack. Drukkah drops the first with a swipe; however, you miss, and the huge bird sinks its claws into your shoulders, lifts you off the cart and carries you high over the reeds. Do you risk stabbing it or do you choose to wait for it to put you down?

Do we want to continue our free air passage?

[JourneymanN00b]

I vote to wait for it to put Qulan Gal down. If we risk stabbing it, we risk killing our hero due to gravity's influence.

[Queen of Swords]

Good point. Wait for it to put us down.

[Darth Rabbitt]

Wait.

[SGamerz]

The pain in your shoulder is agonizing. Suddenly an arrow flies past the bird, followed by another. Drukkah must be firing at the bird! A third arrow slams into the Grypvulture's wing and it plummets out of control, releasing its hold on you. Luckily, you land on your back in stagnant water (add 1 point to your LUCK). You pick yourself up but can see nothing but reeds surrounding the pond.

LUCK is back to max...

You wade through the reeds for a long time. Eventually, you become aware of a peculiar cracking sound. A strange wooden creature suddenly rises up out of the reeds; it expands its limbs at a fantastic rate, towering over the land, and it seems to be looking for something. As quick as a flash, drop down into the reeds - where you come face to face with a Kazanid woman. She motions for you to keep still and silent. The creature, a Kalamites, rattles about until it finds you; then it encircles your body with its giant hand, prior to lifting you up. Do you go for your sword now or do you play dead?

Ah, so this is the thing Drukkah was talking about...

Adventure Sheet:
[spoiler]Name: Qulan Gal
SKILL 10/10
STAMINA 15/18
LUCK 11/11
Poison: 13/24
Equipment: Sword, Leather Armor, Potion of Fortune (+1 to Initial LUCK, restores LUCK to new Initial value), Flower, Treffilli (2 sprigs)
Provisions: 2
Gold: 14 (1 sewn into boot, lucky piece)
Abilities: Darkfight
Medallions:
Extra Lives unlocked: 3/5 remaining
No. of deaths/failures: 2
[/spoiler]

[Beroli]

Play dead.

[Darth Rabbitt]

Yeah, play dead.

[Queen of Swords]

Follow the woman's advice. Nice illustration, btw.